Wireless computer terminals are particularly well-suited to medical care environments, such as hospitals, doctors' offices, and nursing homes. Here, wireless computer terminals offer a great advantage by replacing the conventional clipboard hanging from a patient's bed frame or examination table with a wireless computer terminal that uses radio-frequency transmissions to communicate with a distributed computer network. These wireless computer terminals bring bedside medical care into the information age by computerizing medical charts.
A wireless computer terminal is typically used to post and retrieve the information that was traditionally posted on a bed-side clipboard, such as the patient's prescriptions, vital signs, receipt of medications, scheduled tests, etc. This and other information is now automatically communicated between the wireless computer terminal and a distributed patient-care computer network. A medical practitioner making the rounds, such as a doctor or nurse, usually picks up the wireless computer terminal from a fixed storage location before visiting the patient and takes the terminal into the patient's room. The practitioner then performs the indicated tasks and enters any relevant information into the wireless computer terminal, such as test results, vital signs, observations, and the like. When the visit with the patient is over, the practitioner usually returns the wireless computer terminal to its storage location.
Deploying a wireless computer terminal in this type of medical care environment presents several challenges. First, the wireless computer terminal should be stored near the patient's hospital or examination room for easy access by the medical practitioner. Second, the wireless computer terminal should be kept secure to prevent theft or tampering. Third, the wireless computer terminal should be easily accessible with one hand because a medical practitioner often has the other hand occupied, for example with a tray of medications, a medical instrument, or the like. Fourth, the battery inside a wireless terminal should be kept charged.
To address these needs, wireless computer terminals have been deployed in conjunction with wall-mounted cradles or docking stations located outside of patient hospital rooms. The wall-mounted cradle includes a key or electronic lock for selectively securing the computer terminal in the cradle. For example, the cradle may include a vertically movable leveling tray that allows the wireless terminal to be easily removed from, and replaced for storage within, the cradle with one hand using a push-down-and-tilt motion. A locking mechanism selectively prevents the leveling tray from moving vertically. A battery charger connected to an AC power supply charges the computer terminal's battery while the terminal is stored within the cradle.
These wall-mounted cradles work well but have a number of drawbacks. In particular, a separate wall-mounted cradle with an associated wireless computer terminal is typically located outside each hospital room. This results in a relatively large number of cradles and associated terminals, with each terminal sitting idle most of the day. Purchasing such a large number of cradles and associated terminals is expensive. In addition, once a practitioner removes the terminal from the cradle and takes it into the patient's hospital room, there may no place to conveniently store the terminal inside the hospital room. The practitioner may have to step back outside the patient's room to return the terminal to the cradle if both hands are needed for another activity during the visit, such as making the bed, assisting the patient to get out of bed, dressing a wound, or some other activity.
In another attempt to address some of the needs of medical practitioners, a mobile cart has been deployed in conjunction with a laptop computer. The mobile cart includes a horizontal tray with an upper surface on which the laptop computer resides. The laptop computer is typically secured on the mobile cart with a KENSINGTON lock (i.e., a cylinder-type key-operated mechanical lock). This mobile cart with an attached laptop computer has some advantages, but it also has a number of drawbacks. Physically walking back and forth from the patient's bedside to the mobile cart to enter patient information into the computer can be inconvenient. In many cases, a removable computer terminal that can be carried over to the patient's bedside would be more convenient. A removable computer terminal more closely resembles a conventional clipboard chart, which may be preferred by practitioners who have grown accustomed to clipboard charts.
In the previous mobile cart design, however, the practitioner must manually unlock the KENSINGTON lock to remove the laptop computer. This can be inconvenient, particularly when the medical practitioner is holding other items, such medical instruments. The KENSINGTON lock itself, which typically dangles from a cable connected to the computer, can be an annoyance. In addition, the location of the laptop computer on the surface of the cart occupies this space, which might be better used as a workspace for the practitioner to make notes, carry instruments, place medications, and so forth. The laptop computer also has a number of limitations. For example, the computer's battery life is typically about two to three hours, and recharging the battery typically requires plugging the laptop computer's power cord into an AC outlet for several hours. Plugging the laptop computer in for recharging typically idles the mobile cart for this period.
There is, therefore, a need for an improved docking station for a wireless computer terminal. Specifically, there is a need for a docking station that eliminates the need for a wall-mounted cradle and an associated wireless computer terminal located outside each patient hospital room. There is a further need for a mobile cart and associated computer terminal that is more convenient to use, has increased workspace, and has increased battery life.